Archbishop Kolini raps journalists

KIGALI - The head of the Rwandan Anglican Church, Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini, has attacked the local media for not being professional and using abusive language in their reporting.

Monday, March 31, 2008
Kolini.

KIGALI - The head of the Rwandan Anglican Church, Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini, has attacked the local media for not being professional and using abusive language in their reporting.

His reaction comes few days after a local vernacular bimonthly, Umuco, published defamatory and instigative articles in the latest issue, one of them targeting President Paul Kagame.

Kolini said that the media has no right to abuse or incite violence saying it was "extremely unprofessional for anyone to use abusive language in the name of being a journalist.”

He was speaking during the launch of ‘40 Days of Purpose’ campaign at Amahoro National Stadium last Sunday – a function attended by President Paul Kagame and US evangelist Pastor Rick Warren, who is also the author of the bestselling book ‘Purpose Driven Life’.

"This goes to all media practitioners in Rwanda; being a journalist doesn’t give you a right to abuse people or incite violence in the society,” Kolini said.

He added that journalists are not above the law and called on Christians to pray for the Rwandan media.
The function attracted 20,000 people.
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